The ads for weight loss systems are so enticing: Lose Weight Fast! But they don’t tell you that you can also Lose Hair Fast. This is called “shock loss” and it is not good. Hair loss while dieting is a sign that your body is in distress.
Your hair is composed of nutrients that you have ingested. When you undertake a diet that is not nutritionally balanced, you are asking for trouble. If anyone tells you that hair loss while dieting is “normal,” question it.
The cycle of the hair follicle has three stages: the anagen phase, when the hair is growing; the catagen phase, when the hair follicle shrinks and falls out; and telogen, when the hair follicle rests. Not eating a proper >Continue reading Hair Loss from Weight Loss” />diet can cause the catagen phase to come on more quickly, resulting in temporary hair loss. When proper nutrients start being ingested again, the telogen phase ends and the hair gradually grows back.
Crash diets have another big drawback: The weight usually comes back. Even the most resolute dieter eventually gets fed up with deprivation and starvation, and most of the time, they re-gain much of the weight they lost. Studies have shown that, ironically, the more zeal a person has when they start dieting, the less weight they lose versus a dieter who is not so attached to the outcome.
This supports the point that hair loss during weight loss is a sign you are doing something wrong. The types of diets that actually work long-term are not a diet, but really a lifestyle change that involves sensible nutrition, portion control and regular exercise.
In consultation with your doctor, moderate to vigorous exercise should be done for about a total of about 2.5 hours per week (consult your physician for recommendations suitable to your unique physiology and fitness level). Additionally, using a pedometer to make sure you average 10,000 steps per day is often recommended. This raises your metabolic rate so you don’t have to starve yourself to lose weight.
Remember, when you starve yourself, you starve your hair!
Balanced nutrition typically means fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, legumes and other protein sources, and low-fat dairy products. Research your diet to make sure it has enough of each type of nutrient. You might take a supplement such as a vitamin pill to make sure you are getting a nominal amount of vitamins. If you want to help ensure healthy-looking hair, try Dr. Shapiro’s Help Hair™ Vitamins, which contains biotin and other B vitamins, amino acids and specific minerals for protein synthesis.
An overweight man took a related product, Dr. Shapiro’s Help Hair™ Shake, as snack replacement and lost 51 pounds in three months. He had a hair transplant for his male pattern balding (not shock loss) at the same time and found that his transplanted hair came out of the telogen phase and grew back more quickly. Also, the surrounding non-transplanted hair looked thicker. This is called Accelerated Follicular Restoration™ (AFR™). See photos in the book Fight Hair Loss and Win: Dr. Shapiro’s All-Natural 4-Step Program.
Be rational about dieting. You did not gain extra weight overnight, so do not expect to lose it in a big hurry. Focus instead on changing your daily eating and exercise habits. Give yourself at least 21 days – and more – to form a new habit. Shocking your body with sudden, dramatic weight loss may shock your hair follicles and cause hair to fall out. Don’t risk it!
“Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” – T. Harv Eker